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Norwood scale: Norwood 1 to Norwood 7 explained
The Norwood scale is a seven-stage chart that doctors and hair forums use to describe male pattern hair loss, and Norwood 1 is the starting point: a full hairline with no real recession. This guide explains Norwood 1, how it differs from Norwood 2 and Norwood 3 (including Norwood 3 vertex), what separates a mature hairline from a receding one, and the stages through Norwood 7. It is general information, not a diagnosis.
Where the Norwood scale comes from
James Hamilton described patterned loss of hair in men in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences in 1951. O'Tar Norwood revised that work and published the version used today, "Male pattern baldness: classification and incidence," in the Southern Medical Journal in 1975, so the chart is often called the Hamilton–Norwood scale. Norwood 1 to Norwood 7 are the stages from that revision. Women are usually described with the Ludwig scale, published by Erich Ludwig in the British Journal of Dermatology in 1977.
The chart is a drawing convention, not a measurement, and two doctors can place the same head one stage apart.
Norwood 1 to 7 at a glance
The drawing shows each stage from above, with the front at the top. Labels sit under each head, so the chart reads without relying on shading alone.
In short, Norwood 1 has no recession and Norwood 2 steps back a little at the temples. Norwood 3 recedes deeply, Norwood 4 adds crown thinning, Norwood 5 and Norwood 6 wear away the band of hair between, and Norwood 7 leaves a horseshoe.
What Norwood 1 looks like
Norwood 1 means no significant hair loss and no meaningful recession. The hairline runs fairly straight across the forehead and the temple corners are filled in. Norwood 1 is the reference point the other stages are measured from, not a diagnosis, and some men keep a Norwood 1 hairline well into adulthood.
Norwood 1 vs Norwood 2: mature or receding?
The step from Norwood 1 to Norwood 2 is where most of the worry sits, but the first move of the hairline is usually normal. Many men in their late teens or early twenties find the hairline settling a little higher in a straight line across the forehead. That is a mature hairline, part of growing up rather than hair loss. Charts place it at Norwood 1 or Norwood 2; the scale does not settle it.
A receding hairline behaves differently:
- Shape. A mature hairline rises evenly and keeps soft corners. A receding one deepens at the temples first, so the outline starts to look like an M or a V.
- Hair quality. Along a mature hairline the hair stays as thick as elsewhere. Along a receding one, hairs can turn finer, shorter and lighter before they disappear.
- Direction. A mature hairline stops moving after a few years. A receding one keeps going.
Photos a year apart, taken as the photo guide describes, show more than a mirror check.
Norwood 3 and Norwood 3 vertex
Norwood 3 is the first stage most doctors would call balding in the clinical sense. The hairline has receded deeply at both temples, leaving sparse triangles.
Norwood 3 vertex is a different route to the same stage. The front hairline stays near Norwood 2, but a thin patch appears on the crown.
Norwood 4 to Norwood 7
Norwood 4 shows high frontal recession and a larger crown patch, still separated by a band of hair. At Norwood 5 that band narrows. At Norwood 6 it is gone or very thin, and the front and crown join into one wide bare area.
Norwood 7 is the last stage. The remaining hair forms a horseshoe around the sides and back of the head. That band often stays for life, so Norwood 7 is a horseshoe pattern rather than total loss.
Hairstyle ideas for each stage
A barber will adjust these to your hair.
- Norwood 1 and Norwood 2: almost any cut works; a fringe, side part or short crop keeps a mature hairline looking deliberate.
- Norwood 3: shorter sides with a textured top draw attention away from the temples. Long hair swept across them makes the gap more noticeable.
- Norwood 3 vertex: a close, even length on top shows less contrast than long hair parted over the crown.
- Norwood 4 and Norwood 5: a short crop or a buzz cut at one even length blends the thin areas together.
- Norwood 6 and Norwood 7: a very short buzz or a shaved head is a common, clean choice, and a well-kept beard can balance it (see beard shapes).
For ideas that suit your outline as well as your hairline, see haircut depending on face shape.
How Norwood 1 to 7 changes facial proportions
The upper third of the face runs from the hairline to the brow, so a receding hairline makes that third look taller. At Norwood 1 it is as short as it will be; by Norwood 3 or 4 it can read longer. A fringe, a fuller top or a short crop changes the impression.
The facial 3rd calculator on this site begins its upper third at the highest mesh point on the forehead rather than the true hairline, so with a receding hairline that third is an estimate. A PSL rating of a photo does not depend on the hairline alone.
When to see a doctor about hair loss
A dermatologist can confirm whether hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, the usual cause of the Norwood pattern, and discuss treatment options. This guide does not cover treatments and does not recommend any product, drug or clinic. It describes the pattern, from Norwood 1 onward, and nothing more.
Some changes do not look like ordinary pattern loss and should be checked soon: sudden, patchy bald spots; pain, redness or scaling on the scalp; a lot of hair shedding in a short time. These can have causes other than male pattern hair loss.
Norwood 1 FAQ
What is Norwood 1?
The first stage of the Norwood scale: a full hairline with no significant recession.
How is Norwood 1 different from Norwood 2?
Norwood 2 shows a small step back at the temples. A mature hairline can sit between the two, and the scale draws no sharp line.
Is Norwood 3 vertex different from Norwood 3?
Yes. It keeps a near-normal front hairline and thins at the crown.
Is Norwood 1 the same as a mature hairline?
Not exactly. A mature hairline is a normal early shift, placed at Norwood 1 or 2 depending on the chart.
Does Norwood 7 mean complete baldness?
No. A horseshoe of hair stays at the sides and back, and Norwood 1 is its opposite.